Granulite and Amphibolite

Granulite

Amphibolite

Amphibolite and Granulite

Definition

Granulite is fine to medium grained metamorphic rock with a granular of polygonal crystals.

Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase

History

Origin

Central Europe

Unknown

Discoverer

Unknown

Alexandre Brongniart

Etymology

From Latin granulum, a little grain or fine grained

From Amphibole + -ite

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granoblastic

Banded, Foliated, Massive

Color

Black, Brown

Black, Brown, Green, Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Foliated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Soil Conditioner, Tombstones

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Not Available

Hornblendite

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch

Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Not Used

Petroglyphs

Not Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Granulite is a fine-grained granular metamorphic rock in which the main component minerals are feldspars and quartz and forms at high temperature and pressure conditions.

Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz

Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Not Available

Irregular to Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Imperfect

Irregular

Toughness

Not Available

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.8-3.0

2.5

Transparency

Opaque

Density

3.06-3.33 g/cm³

2.85-3.07 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.14 kJ/Kg K

Not Available

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Russia, Turkey

Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa

Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Europe

Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela

Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Not Yet Found

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

South Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Granulite and Amphibolite Properties

Know all about Granulite and Amphibolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granulite and Amphibolite belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Granulite is Granoblastic whereas that of Amphibolite is Banded, Foliated, Massive. Granulite appears Veined or Pebbled and Amphibolite appears Foliated. The luster of Granulite is vitreous while that of Amphibolite is vitreous to dull. Granulite is available in black, brown colors whereas Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Granulite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, soil conditioner, tombstones and that of Amphibolite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.